Chronology: Petroleum Affairs

Chronology: Petroleum Affairs

Article excerpt

1998

Oct. 20: In Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Turkmenistani President Saparmurat Niyazov and Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Cumhur Ersumer initialled an agreement to build a trans-Caspian pipeline to facilitate the exportation of Turkmenistani gas to Turkey and Europe. [10/22 FBIS]

Oct. 21: The United States announced that it would give Turkey $823,000 to help plan the Turkish part of the proposed Baku-Ceyhan pipeline. [10/22 NYT, 10/23 WP]

Oct. 29: In Ankara, the presidents of Turkey and Turkmenistan signed an agreement under which Turkey would purchase gas for 30 years from Turkmenistan. [10/30 NYT, FBIS]

In Ankara, the presidents of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan signed a declaration supporting the Azerbaijan International Operations Company's (AIOC) proposed pipeline from Baku to Ceyhan. AIOC consists of 12 private and state petroleum companies led by British Petroleum and Amoco of the United States, which hold more than a third of the shares in AIOC. [10/30 NYT, FT]

Nov. 19: Turkey announced possible restrictions on future dealings with British Petroleum and Amoco in retaliation for their favoring a pipeline from Baku to Supsa, Georgia, over the proposed Baku to Ceyhan pipeline. [11/20 FT]

Nov. 22: The Syrian Petroleum Company (SPC) signed a contract with Elf Aquitaine of France and Conoco of the United States to build a gas plant in Syria. [11/23 FT]

Nov. 24: Kazakhstan, Russia, and the Caspian Pipeline Consortium signed an agreement to construct a $2. …